Georgia Tech outlasts Pitt 21-10

Georgia Tech’s bowl fate is secure.

Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Yellow Jackets defense saw to that. Under a clear sky in Midtown, Tech authored one of the best defensive efforts in coach Paul Johnson’s tenure to earn a 21-10 victory over Pittsburgh.

Under a clear night sky in Midtown, the Yellow Jackets limited Pittsburgh to 228 yards, forced seven punts on 11 drives and played with speed, sure tackling and the sort of pass rush that the Jackets have not seen in recent seasons.

“This whole year, minus probably the Miami game, the defense has been lights out,” B-back and captain David Sims said. “We know that anytime we might make a mistake or we turn the ball over, we also have a chance of the defense getting it back for us, whether it’s a three-and-out, whether it’s a turnover.”

Tech will go bowling for the 17th consecutive year by earning their sixth win of the season. With three consecutive wins, Tech will have a week off before a Nov. 14 Thursday night showdown at Clemson.

“Money game,” guard Will Jackson said, referring to the gift cards that players typically receive as bowl gifts. “I told my parents I get to buy them a Christmas present this year, so that’s always good.”

Defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu played one of the best games of his Tech career, speeding past Pittsburgh offensive tackles T.J. Clemmings and Dorian Johnson for sacks and pressures. On perhaps his play of the night, Attaochu got Clemmings backpedaling and off balance before putting him on his back en route to sacking quarterback Tom Savage in the third quarter.

Attaochu had two sacks, giving him four in the past two games and six for the season.

“He’s a handful to block one on one,” coach Paul Johnson said. “He plays with a big motor, he plays hard and he’s quick off the ball.”

Tech’s rush defense hit its peak Saturday night. After holding Syracuse to 75 rushing yards and Virginia to 68 in the past two games, the Jackets dialed it up. The Panthers came into the game averaging 140.7 rushing yards per game, but finished with minus-5. The Tech record in the modern era for fewest rushing yards allowed is minus-56, against Tulsa in the 2004 Humanitarian Bowl. The total Saturday was a top-10 effort, though, for Tech since 1960.

“(Defensive coordinator) Ted (Roof) and those guys have done a good job,” Johnson said. we’re committed to trying to stop the run. I’ve said all along, I think if you can run the ball and stop the run, you always have a good chance of winning, especially if you do away with the turnovers.”

After going into halftime down 14-3, Pitt drove 58 yards for a touchdown on its opening drive of the second half, drawing to within 14-10. The Panthers then had three chances to close further or take the lead, but were forced to punt each time.

“I think it was a team effort,” Attaochu said of Tech’s defensive play overall. “We were working in tandem. The secondary was just giving me time. On some of those sacks, I had time to get there.”

Meanwhile, the Jackets were unable to extend the lead on its next three possessions, as Pittsburgh stymied Tech. Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald live up to his billing as a possible All-America, repeatedly knifing through the Tech offensive line to bust plays.

The Jackets were desperate for a play to flip the field and Lee complied. On a 3rd-and-17 with 4:09 to play, quarterback Vad Lee dropped back and, receiving excellent protection, rifled a downfield pass to wide receiver DeAndre Smelter, who outleapt two Pitt defenders for a 42-yard reception to the Pitt 12.

“As a lineman, you’re in there blocking and all of the sudden, you just look up,” Jackson said. “I just saw what looked like three Pitt defenders down there and DeAndre. I was like, there’s no way he’s coming down with the football. That was just a desperation toss. Then I just heard the crowd start erupting and then watched the replay on the board. That’s shades of Calvin Johnson, I suppose.”

Two plays later A-back Robert Godhigh took a handoff from Lee and went 11 yards for the touchdown and the final 21-10 margin. It was Godhigh’s second touchdown of the game, following a highlight-reel 35-yard run in which he took a toss from Lee, appeared to be stopped and then popped out of a scrum for the score in the second quarter.

Tech improved to 6-3 with its third consecutive win and 5-2 in ACC play. Pitt (4-4, 2-3), which made its first visit to Bobby Dodd as an ACC member, lost its second in a row to a team with a spread-option offense after falling to Navy last Saturday.

Pitt’s experience with the unconventional scheme likely aided the Panthers in defending Tech, particularly in the second half. After piling up 227 yards on 33 plays in the first half (6.9 yards per play), the Jackets went scoreless in the third quarter and had two three-and-outs along with another drive thwarted by a fumble between Lee and B-back David Sims.

“It was just a battle,” Lee said. “They’re fighting, we’re fighting. We could have hit some plays that we wish we could have had back, but for the most part, they’re a great team. They’ve got a great defensive line and overall great defense.”

Tech’s ball security issues continued with two lost fumbles, the first also involving Lee and Sims. In the first quarter, Lee pitched to Sims, who had a defensive back honing in on his chest. Sims didn’t secure the ball and put it on the ground. The Jackets had turned the ball over 14 times in the previous five games, including five against Virginia last Saturday.

Like last Saturday, though, Pitt did not convert the turnover into points, twice going three-and-out.